The role of triglyceride-glucose index in the prediction of the development of hypertension – findings from a community cohort in Singapore / Journal of the ASEAN Federation of Endocrine Societies

Objectives@#Triglyceride-glucose index (TyGI) is an emerging surrogate marker of insulin resistance. We aim to explore the role of triglyceride-glucose index in the prediction of the development of hypertension.@*Methodology@#nducted a retrospective cohort study that included 3,183 study participants identified from a community health screening programme who had no baseline hypertension and were then followed up after an average of 1.7 years. Cox proportional-hazard model was used to assess the association between risk of incident hypertension and TyGI in quartiles, while adjusting for demographics and clinical characteristics.@*Results@#Hypertension occurred in 363 study participants (11.4%). Those who developed hypertension had higher TyGI [8.6 (IQR 8.2-9.0)] than those who did not [8.2 (IQR 8.0-8.7)] (p<0.001). Significant association between TyGI and hypertension was observed in both the unadjusted and proportional hazard model [Quartile (Q)2, p=0.010; Q3, p<0.001 and Q4, p<0.001] and the model that adjusted for demographics (Q2, p=0.016; Q3, p=0.003; Q4, p<0.001). In the model adjusted for clinical covariates, the hazard of developing hypertension remained higher in TyGI Q4 compared to TyGI Q1(Hazard Ratio=2.57; 95% Confidence Interval: 1.71, 3.87). Increasing triglyceride-glucose index accounted for 16.4% of the association between increasing BMI and incident hypertension, after adjusting for age, gender, ethnicity and baseline HDL cholesterol (p<0.001).@*Conclusion@#Triglyceride-glucose index was an independent predictor of the development of hypertension. It may potentially be used as an inexpensive indicator to predict the development of hypertension and risk-stratify individuals to aid management in clinical practice.

Short-term outcomes of patients with Type 2 diabetes mellitus treated with canagliflozin compared with sitagliptin in a real-world setting

<p><b>INTRODUCTION</b>We aimed to evaluate the effectiveness and safety of canagliflozin as compared to sitagliptin in a real-world setting among multiethnic patients with Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) in Singapore.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>This was a new-user, active-comparator, single-centre retrospective cohort study. Patients aged 18-69 years with T2DM and estimated glomerular filtration rate ≥ 60 mL/min/1.73 m were eligible for inclusion if they were initiated and maintained on a steady daily dose of canagliflozin 300 mg or sitagliptin 100 mg between 1 May and 31 December 2014, and followed up for 24 weeks.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>In total, 57 patients (canagliflozin 300 mg, n = 22; sitagliptin 100 mg, n = 35) were included. The baseline patient characteristics in the two groups were similar, with overall mean glycated haemoglobin (HbA1c) of 9.4% ± 1.4%. The use of canagliflozin 300 mg was associated with greater reductions in HbA1c (least squares [LS] mean change -1.6% vs. -0.4%; p < 0.001), body weight (LS mean change -3.0 kg vs. 0.2 kg; p < 0.001) and systolic blood pressure (LS mean change: -9.7 mmHg vs. 0.4 mmHg; p < 0.001), as compared with sitagliptin 100 mg. About half of the patients on canagliflozin 300 mg reported mild osmotic diuresis-related side effects that did not lead to drug discontinuation.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Our findings suggest that canagliflozin was more effective than sitagliptin in reducing HbA1c, body weight and systolic blood pressure in patients with T2DM, although its use was associated with an increased incidence of mild osmotic diuresis-related side effects.</p>

Ethnic disparity in inter-arm systolic blood pressure difference and its determinants among Asians with type 2 diabetes: A cross-sectional study / Journal of the ASEAN Federation of Endocrine Societies

@#<p><strong>OBJECTIVES:</strong> An inter-arm difference in systolic blood pressure (IADSBP) of 10 mmHg or more has been associated with cardiovascular disease (CVD) and increased mortality in T2DM patients. We aim to study ethnic disparity in IADSBP and its determinants in a multi-ethnic T2DM Asian cohort.<br /><strong>METHODOLOGY:</strong> Bilateral blood pressures were collected sequentially in Chinese (n=654), Malays (n=266) and Indians (n=313). IADSBP was analyzed as categories (<br /><strong>RESULTS:</strong> Malays (27.4%) and Indians (22.4%) had higher prevalence of IADSBP ?10 mmHg than Chinese (17.4%) (p=0.002). After adjustment for age, gender, duration of diabetes, hemoglobin A1c, body mass index (BMI), heart rate, pulse wave velocity (PWV), estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR), albumin-to-creatinine ratio (ACR), smoking, hypertension, soluble receptor for advanced glycation end products (sRAGE), and usage of hypertension medications, ethnicity remained associated with IADSBP. While Malays were more likely to have IADSBP ?10 mmHg than Chinese (OR=1.648, 95%CI: 1.138-2.400, p=0.009), Indians had comparable odds with the Chinese. BMI (OR=1.054, 95%CI: 1.022-1.087, p=0.001) and hypertension (OR=2.529, 95%CI: 1.811-3.533, p<0.001) were also associated with IADSBP ?10 mmHg.<br /><strong>CONCLUSION:</strong> IADSBP in Malays were more likely to be ?10 mmHg than the Chinese which may explain their higher risk for CVD and mortality. Measuring bilateral blood pressures may identify high-risk T2DM individuals for intensive risk factor-management.</p>

Is EQ-5D a valid quality of life instrument in patients with Parkinson's disease? A study in Singapore

<p><b>INTRODUCTION</b>The purpose of the present study was to evaluate the validity of the EQ-5D in patients with Parkinson's disease (PD) in Singapore.</p><p><b>MATERIALS AND METHODS</b>In a cross-sectional survey, patients with PD completed English or Chinese version of the EQ-5D, the 8-item Parkinson's disease questionnaire (PDQ-8), and questions assessing socio-demographic and health characteristics. Clinical data were retrieved from patients' medical records. The validity of the EQ-5D was assessed by testing a-priori hypotheses relating the EQ-5D to the PDQ-8 and clinical data.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Two hundred and eight PD patients (English speaking: 135) participated in the study. Spearman correlation coefficients between the EQ-5D and PDQ-8 ranged from 0.25 to 0.75 for English-speaking patients and from 0.16 to 0.67 for Chinese-speaking patients. By and large, the EQ-5D scores were weakly or moderately correlated with Hoehn and Yahr stage (correlation coefficients: 0.05 to 0.43), Schwab and England Activities of Daily Living score (correlation coefficients: 0.10 to 0.60), and duration of PD (correlation coefficients: 0.16 to 0.43). The EQ-5D index scores for patients with dyskinesia or "wearing off" periods were significantly lower than those without these problems. The EQ-5D Visual Analog Scale (EQ-VAS) scores also differed for English-speaking patients with deferring dyskinesia, "wearing off" periods, or health transition status; however, such differences were not observed in patients who completed the survey in Chinese.</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>The EQ-5D questionnaire appears valid for measuring quality of life in patients with PD in Singapore. However, the validity of EQ-VAS in Chinese-speaking patients with PD should be further assessed.</p>

Review on epidemic of obesity

There has been a growing concern about obesity worldwide. We performed a review on the prevalence and trends of obesity among adults and children. We reviewed the data on the prevalence of adult obesity and being overweight from the Global Database on Body Mass Index on the World Health Organisation (WHO) Website and prevalence of children being overweight from the International Obesity Task Force website. Various databases were also searched for relevant reviews and these include PubMed, EMBASE, NHS CRD databases and Cochrane. The prevalence of obesity is high in many parts of the world. Generally, there is an increasing trend of prevalence of adult obesity with age. The peak prevalence is reached at around 50 to 60 years old in most developed countries and earlier at around 40 to 50 years old in many developing countries. Obesity is a major health concern. Appropriate strategies need to be adopted to tackle obesity which itself brings about significant disability and premature deaths. Further observation may be needed to see if the trend of prevalence abates or increases in the near future.

Rationale for redefining obesity in Asians

<p><b>INTRODUCTION</b>There has been extensive research on defining the appropriate body mass index (BMI) cut-off point for being overweight and obese in the Asian population since the World Health Organisation (WHO) Expert Consultation Meeting in 2002.</p><p><b>MATERIALS AND METHODS</b>We reviewed the literature on the optimal BMI cut-off points for Asian populations. We searched PubMed, EMBASE, National Institute for Health Research Centre for Reviews and Dissemination (NHS CRD) Database, Cochrane Library and Google. Attempts to identify further studies were made by examining the reference lists of all retrieved articles. There were 18 articles selected for the review.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>There were 13 studies which have identified the BMI cut-off points for Asian populations lower than the international BMI cut-off points recommended by the WHO. Many of the studies have recommended lowering BMI cut-off point specific for Asian populations. A few studies concurred with the recommended cut-off point for Asian populations recommended by International Association for the Study of Obesity (IASO), the International Obesity Task Force (IOTF) and the WHO in 2002. Asian populations were also noted to have higher cardiovascular risk factors than Western populations at any BMI level.</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>Further research would be needed to look at the all-cause mortality at same BMI levels between Asians and Caucasians in order to evaluate the BMI cut-off recommendations for Asian populations. It is necessary to develop and redefine appropriate BMI cut-off points which are country-specific and ethnic-specific for Asians. These will facilitate the development of appropriate preventive interventions to address the public health problem posed by obesity.</p>